Verse One: Masta Ase



I'm surrounded by psychopathic little fellas

Ghetto dwellas

With ammunition in their cellas

And no remorse in their hearts

When the shit starts it don't end

Until somebody's gone with the wind

And I'm tryin' to keep a level head so instead

Of goin' out to die I write rhymes on my bed

And little kids at the playground

Better stay down

Keep duckin'

Cause somebody else is buckin'

Don't seem to be no relief from the beef

Only nigga round my way without the gold teeth

And the gold chain, with the whole name on my neck

Jewelries your worse enemy without a tech

I'm tryin' to maintain, but it ain't workin'

Niggas keep lurkin'

Through the darkness I see the Grim Reaper smirkin'

Could it be that he's smilin' at me

Not tryin' to see fatal injury, injury

What must I do to avoid the pain

It seems insane, but I gotta maintain

I can feel the pressure on my brain

Feel the strain

But I gotta maintain



CHORUS:

Workin' hard may help ya maintain

Be able to maintain

Be able to maintain

Workin' hard may help ya maintain

Be able to, be able to

Be able to maintain

Workin' hard may help ya maintain

Be able to maintain

Be able to maintain

Workin' hard may help ya maintain

Be able to, be able to

Be able to maintain



Verse Two: Lord Digga



Back in the days I use to do a little dirt

Now that's comin' back around, and man it hurts

To see everbody gettin' on

But I got to wait cause of the things I done wrong

In my life, I regret it

But the man upstairs won't let me forget it

Everytime I think of doin' somethin' right

Here comes a dark tunnel with no signs of a light

I got to fight to keep my head above water

Dollars are real tight, I be askin' bums for quarters

I had enough of the quick cash

So I got to find a way to make the shit last

In the past I woulda just gave up

But there's more days to come, I know they bring ya good luck

So I'm a keep doin' what I'm doin'

Sippin' on the brew and catchin' wreck wit my crewin'

I feel stuck with a lot of aches and pains

And it's stressin' me, but I gotta maintain

(Maintain, maintain)/ I gotta maintain

(Maintain, maintain)/ I gotta maintain



CHORUS



Verse Three:



There's too much pressure and stress on my chest

Life's a mess

And I feel depressed

Seems so hard to survive and stay alive

Jump in my ride and I drive, doin' 95

With my system blastin'

I'm passin' cars in the right lane, light change I'm gasin'

No, destination

But I'm racin'

With my lights on, I got my brights on

Play the right song

And the sweat beeds my five

Drive past Five-O and now they givin' chase

They'll probably want to know where the fire's at

Or where the drug buyers at

Fuck, my tire's flat

I guess I'm pullin' over, to take a loss

But it won't be the loss of my life from drivin' off course

God knows I need to be here to shap me son's brain

So I gotta maintain



CHORUS



CHORUS (fades out